The Sunday herald and weekly national intelligencer., 1887-03-06
THE STAGE.


In our dramatic season now so rnpdy drawing
to close. II the houses were not uniformly
so crowded as during those two notable engage
mcnts they have been of equal SOCIAL and intel
lcctual distinction, and as might not unrcason.
ably have been anticipated in emotional success
the great French drtis,c stands easily first in the
comparison. In the exquisite symmetry and
perfection of her art, as WE'LL she stands as easily
first, II not alone among the artists Of the world
by virtue OF genius So nnc so odclicatc and yet
so tremendous aud irresistible that all climcs and
nll races have done reverence to Its power. The
genuine tears that start from those wonderful
eyes, the face all aglow with love or convulscd
by uuuttcrabc grief, the hcnrt-bicaking tones
OF that low aud thrilling voice. the significant
and moving clouucncc of every hook and poisc
and gesture, these are tho syllnblcs OF universal
lang,Mpc. nnd find their ready answer In the I'M
hidden tears md smiles of thousands who know
not n word OF her rapid and graceful French N
is the touch of nature that makes the world akin.
the burning aud magnetic touch of the consum-
mate and perfect artist striking what harmonics .
or discortls 1t will from the chords of the great
universal human heart Those who witnessed .
for the first time her gentle, touching and most |
sympathetic portrayal Of poor Marguerite Gdu- /
tier on Tuesday night, felt they had never been /
fairly confronted with Durnass ideal till now 1
Those who remembered Mmc Bcrnharits rcndi- |
tion of the character at her previous visit were
aware of, perhaps, a still further refinement and
cNaltation In her conception and treatment Of II
than before. la Dame aux Cnmclas," to our
thinking, Is not as has been snid the apothcosis
of the cocotie, but rather the rescue through love
and sacrifice and suffering of being inherently
pure. gentle, sweet, and full of tenderness nnd
truth, from II life supcrimposcd by her fate but
wholly foreign to her nature. Hence the gnycty
of Sarah Bcrnhartlt's Camille and her happiness
In her new-found love seem almost the nnoccnt,
nuutra and spontaneous gaycty and happiness
of young and pure girl, aud IN the misery that
follows the idea of cxpintion is swept AWAY In
the Hood of sympathy. How Ivy n thousand
touches so full of subtle nrt that they seemed
but nature. SHE led tho feelings of her audience.
step by step. always upward to the clinux. can
bc very vividlv remembered. but not at all
d cscribcd In each of her impcrsonations
throughout the week. In their widely diffcrcn-
tiatcd ways this consunnatc art was In all things
manifest. The pathetic retulancc of the sick and
| dying Camille; the volcanic pnssions of the ter
rife Fedora" with its scmi-savauc Tartarlc fires
smouldcrnr beneath tho thin crust of Russian
civilization; Frcu FrUu. the bright little butter
| fy broken on the wheel of destiny; Claire, the
\ noble central figure of Ohnct's great drama;
Idriennc, child of genius, passion, and msfor-
unc-in all of these strongly divergent tyres
does the powerful personality of this marvellous
artist subordinate itself to her nrt, till she Is no
! longer herself, but each and all of these loving
and suffering women in turn. II is not practical
bic now to specify by example the minutlr of
this artistic conscience which forgcts not the
smallest detail of stage business and accessories,
and has very noticcably asserted itself III the Sc
lection and training of the supporting company.
They all do their work so we'll. and so easily and
naturally fit into their several inches In each
drama. that like thcir great principal. though in
lesser degree, they seem not tn bc acting much
as living.
,E
week at Albauph's. and In the four acts and in
Vulnerable scenes of Mcssrs. Wilson Barrett aud
Henry Joncs's "Hoodmnn Blind" no doubt con-
trivcd tn sup full of horrors to their hearts
tent The curtain rises upon the inspiring spec
tacle of n gentleman apparently In the most
robust health stretched out upon lou1gc and
doing his best to convince the audience that he
is dying In his boots aud the full possession of n
stentorian voice which makes tho footlights
Kicker. As he does not die quite fast enough,
however. to suit the convenience of two other
gentlemen of almost equally prcpossessing ap-
pcarnncc. they kindly assist his efforts by little
Iudicious compression of the windpipc. From
this hilarious beginning, which is really by con-
trast one of the chceriest and most blthcsomc
incidents of the evening, the play proceeds
through variety OF places where you would not
care TO bc, and introduces number of people
you would not wish omect. until the villains are
nl duly come up WITH" and Virtue, with eyes
on its heart, Is properly rewarded In the final
, tablcau. For those who like that sort of thing
(and II must be confessed that the melOdrama, like
some of its tough characters, dies hard, "Hoodman
! Blind" is very much the sort of thing they would
r be apt to like. II Is unqucstionably strong"
and presents most undcnablc abundance Of "in-
cidcnt.'' Whatever Its merits they are very
thoroughly brought out by the present cast and
mounting. Mr.. Joseph Haworth is an actor who
/ Is capable of much better things, but his Jack
Tsulttt Ia this play Is personatiOn of such In
, tense emotional power and pathos that We arc
r 10th to believe Mr.. Barrett himself could have
I given the lines very much better Miss sydney
I Armstrong, in her dual assumption OF Nance
= Yeutctt and Jess the Vdif, gave evidence of re.
:! markable versatility of talent, her portrayal OF
I the wrctchcd outcnst especially being character.
ile'l by an almost painful realism of treatment
f, The Mark Lcisdrd of Mr.. Augustus Cook was
= such an nbominablc bit of scoundrelism as
4 almost to Justify the rather rcpulsivc brutality
of the last act, and Mr.. Fleming. rs KrtdJc, the
3 associate villain, might well have divided some
. of the hnal popular honors with his partner
o Mr.. Sidney Howard enacted the honest British
e blacksmith with nn apparently indigenous accent
II and highly commcndublc fervor, nnd Little
II Aimee did the Infant phenomenon role, indis
C pcnsablc to the modern drama of this dcscrp
u tion. with much infantilc cutencss The scenery
o II not unbcaraby beautiful, was ingenious aud
. fairly reliable In its pvoutions. nnd the perform
i nnce In general well worthy of the hearty ap
platsr II received.
n "Thc Gypsy Baron" which will he produced al
b the Grand Opera House this week by Conricd'.
r, English Opera Company. is generally admitted Il
Il be the masterpiece of that brilliant and prolific
h composer, johann Strauss. In its score he has
e by the unanimous concurrence of the critics
r reached higher Hight than ever In the most
!, tuneful aud mclolious of his previous works
" "Thc Merry War" Bat" "Quccn's Lace Hnnd
VI kerchicf." and prince Methusaem" ull had
=, many of the greatest beauties possible In comic
a opera, but the "Gypsv Baron" cxccls them all
q II had an entirely unprecedented run In Vienna
u and another In Berlin. and repeated the success
i In New York whore 1t has been on the board
;. drawing crowds during the whole of the present
d scnsoD. The only fuult found with tho music |,
II that II IL too grand, above the comicupcra stand
ard. fault however, If 1t be II fault, which thu
I public will easily cOndonc. Its true, the "Gyps,
y Baron" contains some numbers, which fo
!. high poeticl beauty of conception, and brillinn
"a nnd effective treatment of the orchestra may fa
" vOraby compare with some of Meycrbccr's mos
stirring scenes nnd which nrc greatly superior t.
e many compositions which have held the stage q
i this. fiut by the side of these highly impressive
q numbers we have M OvcraDunduncc of thos
. fascinating waltl-sonRs. those nspiritnH march
1t movements. and those acry. Intoxicating IInnga
u
g guishcd composer world. wide reputation. Thu
Z plot of the Gypsy Baron" untolds before us
~ ~ romantic picture of Hungarian Gypsy life dur
" " ing the Inst century. The company which MI
r Conriel has cnIaged for the production IL, per
N haps, the strongest that has ever been heard II
comic opera In this country. The principal So
II pr,no, part, san, Gypsy girl, win be taken b!
p Miss Laura Bcln, whose brilliant reputation
!, as lyric soprano OF the highest rank needs NJ
j. further comment. Miss Won DOnbOff, who pos
o -,ses high contralto voice of exceptional beaut
n and compass. and who L. moreover, I'M actress o
L. great dramatic force and intensity, will presen
10 the interesting part Of Cxiprd, the Gypsy Queen
a very pretty character IL that of 1rs6nd.
~ ~ rather proud and coqnettish beauty, which will
y be- sung by Miss OMEN, u young lady pOss1sse
y Of a charming highly cultivated soprano voice
10 1t would really be impossible to hnd stronge
N representative Of tho principal character of III
10 opera, BlrinhdD. the Gypsy Baron, than MI
a Harry de Lornc, who, by his handsome persona
!. appearance and beautiful heroic tenor voice
!. admirably suited to the, part. The comic char
W meter, ZsUpdn, the pig-dcaler, will be presente
y by Mr.. Jacques Kruger, who ranks among tn
i, very best in his pnrticnr line In this conntr,
ir connt HomDnoh Hungarian recruiting office
'v will be given by Mr.. Fred Urban, who, hinse
y u Hungarian by birth, win infuse the part wit
w trlp Mauyur fire There n funny old NDuul